Mental Jungles
by SugaMama09
Summary: I wish I could explain what I'm mentally going through right now but the words just will not come so instead, I chose a medium that I am most comfortable with, sat down in front of my laptop with a blank page pulled up & let my hands take it from there
1. Prelude

He blinked to get his eyes to focus. Where was he again? Oh…right, in the car. He glanced at the clock on the dashboard. 4:45am. He needed to go to sleep but there was really no point since he had to be up in two & a half hours. Maybe on the way to work he'd get an energy drink or take a nap during his lunch break.

He glanced down at his hand. His cigarette had completely burnt out, probably long ago. He flicked it out the window & suddenly he wondered what it would be like had the cigarette gotten into the gas tank & blown the car up. Would he feel anything? Like would it hurt? Would he be afraid? Would he have regrets just milliseconds before the explosion, like, "Oh but I have so much to live for!". He didn't think so. He wasn't necessarily ready to die but he'd be ok with it when his time came.

Something warm ran down his cheek but he didn't bother wiping it away. He'd involuntarily began crying some three hours ago. He wasn't really sad…just kinda…lost, for lack of a better word. Maybe fed up was a better word. A few times he felt himself get choked up & let the sobs rack his body, causing thick blobs of snot to seep out of his nose. It was an ugly sight, he already knew. He wiped the snot away but left the tears. It just felt natural.

His hand sought out the bottle of Jack Daniel's in his passenger seat. He found it but he also found that it was empty. Wonderful. Now how was he going to cope at work tomorrow with no alcohol in his system? He didn't get paid for another week; the money he did have was reserved for gas. Ah well it was probably for the bes-

Then the memories of That Night came back: the gin he guzzled, cheered on by Him, grimacing at the awful burn it left but acting like it was nothing, vaguely hearing His brother pausing the game, knowing something bad was about to happ-

His face scrunched up again as tears streamed down his face like rain on a window. Ok so maybe dying wouldn't be so bad right now….

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**This is a work in progress so I am almost positive it will not get a scheduled update. Please bear with me**


	2. How It All Began

_Sesshomaru eyed the guy sitting across the lunchroom with interest. He was quite an attractive guy: tall, nicely shaped body, pleasant smile. The inuyoukai had just noticed him a few days ago but according to one of his coworkers he'd been working here for a few months now. _

"_Think his name is Naraku" one of his coworkers told him, noticing the way Sesshomaru was looking at him, "I think he's single too"_

"_I couldn't care less about his status as a single man or otherwise" Sesshomaru said in a low voice, looking down at his phone. To be honest he hadn't thought about it until just now. Not to say he wanted to go up to the guy & hand him a sheet of paper with "Check the box next to yes if you like me" but…he was curious._

"_Jason said he's a pretty good worker. He's thinking about recommending him to be a manager" another put in. Sesshomaru's interests peaked even more. Kami knows hard working men were one of his weaknesses._

"_But doesn't he have a record or something?" the irst coworker asked._

_That was when Sesshomaru tuned them out. He hasn't & wouldn't consider a guy with a record._

_Their thirty minute break went by quickly. One minute he'd just sat down to eat his lunch, the next he had to get back to work for another five hours. It went by fairly quickly though: Sesshomaru eyeing this Naraku guy not too far away from him majority of the time. When they were done their manager asked them to help clean up & the silver haired beauty found himself grabbing a broom & wandering over to Naraku who was picking up trash._

_He started when Naraku glanced up at him, his wine colored eyes amused. "Needed a closer look at me?"_

_Sesshomaru paused before frowning. "I am disinterested in you & more concerned with cleaning up so that I can leave"_

_Naraku gave him a lopsided smirk. "You are disinterested in me?"_

"_Do you not understand the meaning of the word or are you hard of hearing?"_

_The attractive raven haired man laughed, showing off pearly white teeth. Sesshomaru also found himself admiring the shiny ebony locks that caught the overhead lights. "What is your name?"_

_Sesshomaru was getting ready to walk away until he felt a hand wrap around his wrist, pulling him back._

"_Hey c'mon. I can't get to know you?" Naraku asked._

_Something twinged in Sesshomaru's stomach, like he had one of those door stoppers in his belly & someone was flicking it. Whether it was a warning, arousel or simply being touched, he couldn't be sure but man, he could get lost in those eyes…_

"_I'm Naraku. I should've introduced myself earlier while you were staring at me"_

_The inuyoukai somehow managed not to blush. "Sesshomaru"_

_The dark haired man finally let go of the silver haired beauty's wrist & smiled. "Nice. So how long have you been working here at this hell hole?"_

_Sesshomaru glanced around & saw most of the cleaning had been done & there was no need for him to keep the broom in his hand. He leaned it against the table behind him. "A little over a year now"_

"_Wow. Either you're desperate for money & can't find another job or you really like working here"_

_The inuyoukai narrowed his eyes. "Neither"_

"_Oh? Do tell then cause I am…very curious about you"_

_It's not that Sesshomaru didn't trust Naraku [he kinda didn't but then again he didn't know him], it was just that you can't just open up to anyone. He hadn't been in many relationships & he counted himself lucky because of it. The only heartbreak he'd been through was that time as a kid when he went to the ice cream truck only to find out the Sonic popsicle had been sold out. He liked the fact that there was no one he let near enough to hurt him because eventually everyone will hurt you. He had built his confidence alone so what did he need someone there for him for? He needed no one. But at this very moment the sudden thought that maybe a relationship wouldn't be so bad crossed his mind..._

_After their manager deemed everything cleaned & put back in order he told them to have a good night & everyone left. Sesshomaru made a pit stop to the bathroom then exited to clock out. On the way to his car he saw Naraku in the smoking section, looking down at his phone, up near the parking lot entrance, back down at his phone then around as if everyone around him in the smoking section was annoying him._

"_Are you waiting for someone to come pick you up?" Sesshomaru inquired._

_Naraku's face relaxed when he laid eyes on his newfound friend. "Nah I live pretty close. I was just waiting for a coworker in there to be finished so I could bum a cigarette off of him"_

_Sesshomaru glanced down for a moment. His mind kept telling him no but something was whispering in his ear that it couldn't be that bad of an idea. "How close do you live?"_

"_Right after the second light, going north on Cobb Parkway. It's less than a minute from here"_

"_I can take you"_

_Naraku smirked but didn't say anything for a few seconds. "Well I greatly appreciate that. Thank you"_

_The inyoukai simply nodded. He'd already been a carpool before, actually, he just recently stopped giving a ride to his previous coworker & vowed he'd never do it again because it could be so inconvienant & riders tended to be inconsiderate of you. But he never said he'd always give Naraku a ride. Just…for now. Until he didn't feel like it anymore._

_Naraku hopped in Sesshomaru's car & seemed to relax, letting out a big exhale. "Nice whip"_

_Sesshomaru nodded once._

"_So…any plans tonight?"_

"_No"_

"_You could invite a friend or two over for some drinks with me & my brother if you want"_

_Sesshomaru didn't even consider it. "No"_

"_Aww c'mon, it'll be fun. You look like you could afford to let your hair down a little. You work too hard. Just a couple drinks, that's all I ask"_

_He was not going to repeat himself again. He didn't even know this guy. Who in their right mind would go to a stranger's house & drink with him & his brother? That's just asking for trouble._

"_Alright, alright. I'll leave it alone" Naraku surrendered with a chuckle, "But seriously you should. It'll be fun"_

_Sesshomaru dropped Naraku off & went home. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't a little bit interested in Naraku. He was different from all the other guys that tried to win the inuyoukai's affections & it was the kind of different that made Sesshomaru want to know more about him. He was mysterious &...strange...& a little off...& Sesshomaru liked that._


End file.
